The city of New Iberia was recently one of 12 municipalities chosen for participation in a pilot program called “Development Ready Communities” launched by Louisiana Economic Development.

The selection into the program, designed to make communities in the state prepared for future development, comes with an aggressive timetable and list of goals that must be completed by the steering committee representing the city with the project.

The steering committee has been meeting weekly to reach the goals set forth by the state agency.

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It is tasked with developing a comprehensive community assessment. One component of that is identifying what residents here feel are the community’s strengths and weaknesses.

The committee is trying to collect as much data from residents here as it can in the form of surveys and town hall meetings. The first town hall meeting, which the committee called the “Community Stakeholders’ Town Hall Meeting” was held Tuesday and was attended by several city department heads and officials.

Among items discussed at the meeting were quality of life, local education and local government. Those in attendance had many positive things to say about the first two categories, boasting a feeling of safety here, many opportunities for culture and recreation and a successful school system.

Comments on local governmental entities working together showed the frustration many feel lately.

“The city has its act together,” said Reed Sellers, Greater Iberia Chamber of Commerce board member. “But working between city and parish government, I wouldn’t even know what to say about that.”

Jane Braud, director of the city’s planning and zoning department and its Main Street Program, said she believes the relationship between the two, for the most part, is open. She also said city departments work well together.

“Government being receptive means a lot to new businesses coming in,” said Industrial Development Foundation President and CEO Mike Tarantino. “It goes a long way when government can be open minded and move with the speed of business instead of the typical speed of government.”

The committee will continue seeking input from the community for its assessment, which will include another town hall meeting from 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 9 at the Sliman Theater in New Iberia. Braud said “anyone and everyone is welcome to come.”

Members of the steering committee are Braud and Tarantino, Mayor Hilda Curry, city councilwoman Therese Segura, city councilman Calvin Begnaud, Iberia Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Fran Thibodeaux, Pat Caffery of Caffery Real Estate, Chamber President and CEO Janet Faulk, Liz Bodin, commercial relations manager for Iberia-Bank, and Fran Hender-son, of Boudreaux, Hen-derson and Co.